Georgina Tang, founder of the multi-award-winning beauty company YNNY Ltd, started her business by accident rather than by design. She developed skincare products at her kitchen table after seeing her 10-year-old son Alessio struggling with severe psoriasis – a side-effect of having chemotherapy to treat an autoimmune condition.
After repeated trips to his GP and dermatologist and seeing no improvement from steroid and emollient creams, she decided to take matters into her own hands. It was “pure desperation” that pushed her to create her own shea butter balm in 2013, which then led her to launch her own business in 2015.
“We had tried so many different products (medical and non-medical) that when this one worked, it really felt like a miracle. It made the chemotherapy much more bearable,” she says.
It wasn’t long before she realised she had a successful business on her hands, and she left her well-paid, secure full-time job to work on YNNY full-time. Within five years, she was turning over six figures.
Now a multi-award-winning brand, YNNY won Best Hair Product, Best Skincare Product and Best Beauty Entrepreneur at the 2025 National Beauty Awards, and this year was shortlisted for Talent in the City by Liverpool Lifestyle awards, as well as Health and Wellness by the Women’s Business Club.
Georgina shares her five top tips for turning your passion into profit – and starting a new business at any age.
It’s never too late
Don’t let your age stop you from realising your dream – people worry they’re too old to start a business venture. Georgina was 51 when she launched YNNY, but she highlights the benefits that age brings: resilience, experience, maturity and financial stability.
Inspiration can be close at hand
Georgina attended a free bath bomb session in her local community centre in December 2011, and she went on to complete courses in how to make natural skincare, body butters and hair products. The knowledge that she gained on the benefits of natural ingredients was invaluable when Alessio was suffering.
“I realised I knew how to make the products and I just needed to try it. Within a month of using my shea butter balm (which is now sold as Soothing Shea Butter), his skin was clear. It was life-changing for my son.”
Georgina then created a shampoo and a conditioner to aid hair growth after finding hair on his pillow that had fallen out as a result of his treatment.
“Chemotherapy can be devastating for people’s skin and hair. I would have done anything I could to help him.”
Test the market
Run your side hustle alongside your paid work, as it takes time to grow a business. When people saw how well Georgina’s son looked, they asked her what products she was using, so she started sharing them, first with people who were undergoing cancer treatments. She soon realised that customers were using her shea butter balms to help with nappy rash, psoriasis, dermatitis or even just as a moisturiser.
Make an impact
Georgina developed an anti-ageing skincare range that included an Elixir serum that has been used by celebrities and white labelled by beauty salons.
“Customers call my serum ‘Botox in a bottle’ as it turns back the skin’s clock. I created it especially for myself (people often think I’m in my 40s, but I’m actually 62), but I never dreamt I could create something that would have such an impact on people’s lives.
“However, one customer wrote to me saying, ‘Don’t stop making these small miracles – we need you’. Happy customer feedback is the highest praise of all.”
Think positive
Fear of failure will stop most people before they start. “You need to stay positive, practical and realistic. Plan and prepare carefully and trust in yourself, then take the leap,” she says.
Factor in working late into the night and weekends – persistence matters most. There could be times when business is slow, and you might doubt yourself, but persistence is what carries you through the tough times.
“Don’t let fear stop you from achieving your dreams, because dreams do come true. Dare to believe.”
Georgina Tang is the founder of multi-award-winning beauty brand YNNY [www.ynny.co.uk]. She also creates white label beauty products for high-profile brands and influencers.
